The present invention relates to motor housing structure and more particularly to an improved structure which serves to protect motor parts disposed within a housing from falling rain and yet, at the same time, allows ready ventilation to such motor parts.
In many types of motor housings, it is desirable to provide vent slots therein at appropriate locations to insure proper ventilation of the several parts of the motor during normal motor operations. At the same time, it is desirable to protect the motor components from contaminants such as dirt, dust, insects, vermin and moisture, often in the form of rainfall. Although motor housings frequently can be mounted or disposed to shield and protect ventilating slots from contaminating elements--for example, by mounting a motor housing with the longitudinal axis of the housing in a horizontal position and with the slots facing downwardly--such selective mounting is not always permissible and often it is a space or engineering requirement that the motor housing be disposed with the longitudinal axis thereof in a vertical position.
The present invention, recognizing these structural limitations and requirements of the past, as well as the almost ever present need to provide appropriate moisture protection and ventilation of the several motor components, provides a straightforward and economical structural arrangement which permits both protection and ventilation of the motor components disposed within a housing shell regardless of shell orientation. In addition, the structural arrangement of the present invention lends itself to efficient and economical manufacture and assembly, being readily adaptable for the retrofiting of existing installations which are in need of motor component protection from the elements.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.